Public Defender

Our Mission

The mission of the Shasta County Public Defender Office is to
provide effective legal representation to those persons who do not
possess the present means to hire an attorney in criminal cases,
juvenile delinquency proceedings, mental health commitments, and
quasi-criminal (i.e. contempt of court) cases in which a right of legal
representation is provided by law. Every person will be treated with
courtesy and respect.

Our Goals

The following Goals are the primary function of the Department:

Provide effective legal representation to those persons who do not
possess the present means to hire an attorney in criminal cases,
juvenile commitment proceedings, mental health commitments, and
quasi-criminal cases in which a right of legal representation is
provided by law;

After initial appointment, ensure that every client is physically seen before their next meaningful court date;

Protect the constitutional rights of every client;

Provide competent personnel to ensure the Goals and Mission of the Department are accomplished; and

Ensure that the Department operates effectively, efficiently and ethically in a cost effective manner.

Public Defender services are mandated by the
Federal and State Constitutions, and state law. The rationale of this
mandate is based on one of the most important protections that exist in
a free society: the right to counsel. The right to counsel, especially
where the government uses its vast powers to deprive an individual of
his or her freedom, is one of those fundamental principles of liberty
and justice which lie at the base of our civil and political
institutions. This right to counsel, however, is a meaningless right if
it is dependent on the financial ability of a person to hire an
attorney. Therefore, the law requires the government to provide
competent and effective legal counsel to a person, in certain
enumerated cases, who cannot presently provide the means to hire an
attorney.